A ubiquitous presence in Italian cinema of 1950s, 60s and 70s, Rodolfo Lodi pops up pretty much everywhere. White-haired, elegant and with an almost regal air to him, he typically appeared as some kind of aristrocrat or authority figure in everything from the comedies of Totò and Franco & Ciccio to several Hollywood productions shot in Italy. He also appeared in more serious films by important directors such as Roberto Rossellini, Jean Renoir and Bernardo Bertolucci, and was even a regular character actor in the fotoromanzi published in magazines such as Sogno, Luna Park, Cine Illustrato and Polvere di Stelle.

Rarely credited, Rodolfo was nevertheless entrusted with many speaking roles, and by the 1970s, he was being awarded some more significant credited roles. Indeed, his two most famous and memorable roles are the ones which he interpreted towards the very end of his long career: as the ill-fated archbishop in the comedy classic Il secondo tragico Fantozzi (1976), and as Jill Clayburgh's old opera maestro in Bertolucci's La luna (1979).